Chance Encounter

timestamp: the 9 Week Gap

Take me to church

I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies

I'll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife

Offer me my deathless death

Good God, let me give you my life

~*~

The rapid tapping on his door brought Jonathan back from slumber. Dragging his hand over his tired face he felt stubble there, he hadn't shaved in two days. Rolling his eyes Jonathan heaved himself up from his beaten old recliner making his way to the door. When he opened it he regretted that decision when he saw a purple-haired women standing. Before he had the chance to close the door on Lil—and she did not look happy—she pushed her way in wrinkling her nose at the smell.

There were several empty bottles of beer scattered around the room indicating last night's drinking. Jonathan could feel the beginning of a headache behind his eyes but knew better than to point it out to Lil. He would not get any sympathy points.

"Are you fucking kidding me," Lil breathed out her voice in disbelief. Whipping back to Jonathan's tired blue eyes her hazel eyes steeled jaw clenching. "You're still drinking?! After the shit your father pulled you're more than happy to follow in his fucking footsteps!?"

Jonathan bristled at the mention of his father. The old man might've finally kicked the bucket three years ago but the subject was still a no-go and Lil knew that. "Lil," he warned.

"Oh, finally struck a nerve, did I?" Lil sneered a bit. "Well you deserve it. That was a fucked up thing you did to Sock."

Ah, and here's subject #2 of things not to mention in front of me. Jonathan narrowed his eyes at Lil. This was not his morning and she didn't seem to care. Jonathan turned his back to her picking up the bottles needing to clean up, a habit he can thank his father for installing.

"Do you even care what you did to him?" Lil said after a minute of silence when he returned to the living room. "Sock's a mess since you left."

"It's not my problem," Jonathan mumbled. A moment later he was shoved onto his couch with a seething Lil towering over him.

"Not your problem. Not your fucking problem!? Are you kidding me?" Lil growled. "I just talked to him. Sock is still hopelessly in love with you. And I know you are too. So do yourself a favor and pull your head out of your ass." Lil walked out toward the door and opening it before turning back around to stare at him, "Please think about it before you lose him too."

The door echoed as she slammed it shut. Jonathan groaned closing his eyes as her voice resonating inside his skull. He couldn't do it. I mean, look at all the shit I did. I'm exactly like my father. I would only continue ruining Sock more than I already have. And yet... Jonathan felt selfish. He didn't want to let Sock go. He couldn't. Sock was too engraved into his DNA. But he had to let him go. There was no way Jonathan was going to drag Sock down with him.

He couldn't commit. He couldn't hurt Sock like his father did to him...

Jonathan ran his hands over his face before skating over his blond hair. He needed to take a shower and clean himself up before he went to work. And shave too.

*-*~*-*~*-*

"...Fuck you... you bastard, I wish I never met you..."

Jonathan snapped his eyes open his breath coming out in pants. Sock's broken choked voice fading into the recess of his mind. His heart lurching at that moment. Jonathan could feel the stinging of tears in his eyes as he turned to his side squeezing his eyes tight. He didn't know why this was affecting him; it was over two weeks since Sock uttered those words. Twelve days since Lil's abrupt visit. And a full week since he gave up drinking.